End of Year Reflection :(

My biggest struggle during this project was the conflicting times and schedules that everyone had, including the members of the paintball club. At times getting my group members on the same schedule was difficult. The stress of editing and being afraid that the project would not turn out well, was also a struggle that I faced. The final project is the aspect of the project that makes me most proud. I believe the documentary was well put together in the end and turned out amazing. I would have changed the group we focused on. Although the paintball team was well, they were rather unreliable in the beginning and slow to communicate, which put a huge halt on our project. I along with Brandy were personally responsible for editing the first 2:45 of the documentary. Additionally, I was in constant contact with the Paintball team, I along with Susan and Brandy wrote the interview questions. Unfortunately, our group got off to a very bad start. Some people in the group proved unreliable until the end. However, there was miscommunication throughout the process. I do feel as if I contributed a fair amount to the group project.

I believe this course was very successful in sharpening my critical thinking skills. I absolutely loved learning about different communication skills and their functions. There is no way I would have preferred writing 4 essays to the work we did throughout the semester. I believe this course was great in allowing me to step out of my comfort zone, I would not have wanted to learn second semester WRD any other way. I really enjoyed completing the blog post the absolute most and the readings we had to do, Detroit vs. Everybody was my favorite. The interaction regarding the last supper was the most intriguing, I have actually made a few of my friends go through the interaction. I believe making the groups smaller will be helpful for future classes. Smaller groups allows for the work to be distributed and completed fairly amongst the group members. If I could change one thing I would change how discussions are after doing a reading and blog post. I noticed there wasn't much participation, maybe a round table would be more effective or forced replies. But other than that I am very sad that the class has come to an end.

Paintball Documentary!

Paintball Documentary

Here's the correct link to our paintball documentary:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCO19HJCU5w

Annotated Interview Schedule (Paintball Group)

Spencer Carter’s interview was conducted on Thursday, April 3rd at 4pm. Spencer Carter is one of the presidents of the paintball club. From his interview we sought to get his experiences playing paintball with the team and without, why and how he became interested in joining the team.

Travis Smith is the former president of the Paintball Club, who agreed early on to let us interview him. We will be interviewing him on Sunday April 6, at approximately 2 pm. From his interview we will hope to obtain B Roll footage and what his paintball experiences were like being the president and just being on the team.

Christian Swartz’s interview will be held on Sunday at 2 pm as well. From this interview we hope to find out from his perspective the team dynamics and his funny and/or embarrassing moments playing paintball for UK.

Kyle Leyshon’s interview will be held on Sunday as well. From this interview we will hope to view his perspective on whether or not he feels that paintball encourages violence or is comparable to it in any way.

Born Into Coal

The documentary Born Into Coal, I found to be rather pointless. I do understand that somewhere in the world and to many people coal is very important, however I was rather unmoved by the documentary. I am, though very sorry regarding the deaths of the 20+ miners who lost their lives at Massey, that was a very unfortunate and tragic event. I did grasp the importance of the coal industry and pageant to West Virginia and the families therein, from the documentary.

The documentary did a wonderful job of incorporating B Roll into the film, especially in the beginning. In the beginning you could hear the voices of contestants and them going through their introductions. Throughout the entire documentary it seems that it were solely interview based, however with the great B Roll imaging I missed this occurrence during my first viewing. The creator also effectively implemented close up shots and long shots. Showing the miners from afar and very dirty shows how realistic the job is. Also, how the miner comes home from work and is able to sit right down to eat without washing up, shows how reliant the family is upon the coal industry. He uses video footage of long shots transitioning to close ups almost as still images.

If we were to see this documentary in storyboard form we would first begin with the pageant then transition to the different families and the average persons view of the miners. The storyboard would end with a few images of juxtaposed text and videos and the young lady winning the pageant.

Jays On My Feet

I am almost ashamed to admit that the two websites I visit frequently, almost 5 or more times a day are Footlocker.com and Finishline.com. Both of these websites serve similar purposes to advertise and sell footwear, clothing, and accessories of the athletic persuasion. I visit these sites with the intent of purchasing shoes or just to keep myself updated with the new or nearby release dates. Foot Locker advertises more for the basketball clothing and shoes, whereas Finish Line advertises more for runners. When you visit these sites they are similarly structured. At the top you will find the log-in information, search box, the drop down menus per shoe style, the current shoe mini jumbo-tron, beneath that the current grid-like structure of bestsellers, and other important but non-essential information. These websites have an audience of whomever may afford the footwear and clothing being advertised. The secondary audience in today’s times are ‘sneaker heads’ or ‘hype beast’ who purchase the shoes for style, which are people of all ages with a card number. Another targeted audience are people who are too lazy or maybe unfortunate to be able to travel to the stores bright and early on a Thursday-Saturday morning to purchase shoes. Categorically I fall into the lazy section, I don't mind the extra $7.99 of shipping.

The ethos comes into play visually on both websites and the messages the advertisements play while one is shopping. Visually Foot Locker’s website is black and a dark grey, this serves the purpose of the buyer being able to focus on the shoes being advertised on the mini jumbo-tron and beneath it on the website. The contrast forces the buyer to pay more attention to the forefront of the site - the shoes - rather than the backdrop. The wording on the site is white, which also creates a stronger contrast because it draws the buyers eyes to the different sections and titles so that one is able to easily navigate the site and purchase the shoes and leave the website. This is probably done because the Foot Locker website gets extremely crowded at specific times in the week and at certain time frame within those days. Due to the overcrowding of the website during these times one is subject to being dismissed from the website for 30 seconds to an hour. So, the site being easily manageable is a plus for the consumer. Finish Line visually is blue and white the sides possess advertisements to draw the customers attention elsewhere and to convince them to purchase or consider more than one shoe. It is a greatly effective strategy with someone like me, who loves gym shoes, however it is ineffective when the website also experiences the same overcrowding as does the Foot Locker website, during similar times. The most effective website rhetorically would be Foot Locker, it gears it’s customer to one thing and helps them to put their focus in that one place. Even though there is a lack of additional advertising once you have decided to select a shoe, because of the notorious name Foot Locker holds, it is almost unnecessary.

No Seconds vs The Last Meal Project

I found both of the two presentations to be visually compelling and intriguing. In my opinion there is no comparing the two, where one website falls short another website picks up the slack. The goal of ‘No Seconds’ presentation was almost to mock the American tradition of offering the most notorious group of people in society a last meal before execution. Throughout the project the photographer provides us with detailed information regarding the alleged crimes committed. Also, the photographs are more visually appealing than the ones found in ‘The Last Meal Project‘. Additionally, the photographer includes the age of the person, which is not available in the information provided by ‘The Last Meal Project’. The images and text provided seems to provide an equal focus of the actual person and the food in which they requested. In ‘No Seconds’ the abundance of information in the accuracy of the alleged crime committed helps the audience to assume the photographers point ‘why do they deserve a last meal?’ The photo that speaks the most volume is the Angel Nieves Diaz, the inmate who requested no last meal. This photo was depicted by a an empty plate, place settings, and a empty cup. This image was the most important because it symbolizes one of two things about the person: he was feeling guilty and felt he did not deserve a last meal before his execution, or he was in a hurry to complete the process.

In ‘The Last Meal Project’ the goal of this presentation is more informational and as stated in the first slide “to question how is society really served by the death penalty?“. In this presentation there is a more accurate description of the food provided, numerically, although the meals aren’t in a visually appealing design. This leaves the audience with a ‘cut and dry’ image of what is taking place, there is a sense of honesty with no sugar coating taking place. This photographer also included a photo of the person on death row behind the images of the food requested. This speaks the most volume to letting the audience determine what could have potentially been the cause or reasoning for them desiring the meal in which they did. Additionally the presentation includes information regarding the costs of being on death row and being executed, and the process of what lethal injections consists of. Also this presentation the includes the date and time in which the inmate was executed.

Both photographers used the font ‘Courier New’ to present the information on each inmate. Unfortunately this seems to be the one font all persons use in describing the death penalty, however, this may derive from this being the original font provided on typewriters. In both presentations I was moved by the information provided but more affected by ‘The Last Meal Project’ because it included the faces of the inmate.

Video Response

I think my speech went well as far as preparation and information. I was relaxed a tad nervous at first but as the speech went on I was able to be fluid and be more comfortable in my presentation. I believe, in concurrence with Mr. Horton, that one my downfalls was not utilizing the entire front of the classroom. I must justify this in saying that, by not walking across the front of the classroom I was preventing myself from pacing. When giving speeches, if I become too relaxed I begin to pace and the speech begins to sound as if I am only thinking aloud. Because of this I like to stand in one place. Additionally while watching the video I noticed that the shifting of my weight from one foot to the other seems more as if I have redirected my nervousness to doing such and is a bit distracting. Yet, I have incurred multiple injuries throughout high school which does not allow me equally distribute my weight without massive pain. I hadn’t realized that I was speaking above normal speed nor did I recognize it while listening to my speech, but it is definitely something for me to consider when giving and practicing for my next speech. Aside from the above listed problems I believe that my presentation was much better than expected, I was more confident than I expected as well as more prepared than I felt I was going into the speech.

Questions I HATE Answering

There is always that person or persons that always have a list of extremely unrealistic questions when I tell them that I’m from Chicago. The answer to all of the questions I receive first require me to roll my eyes and take a deep breath. Chicago is broken down into numerous neighborhoods, that not even all persons from Illinois are aware of, which really bothers me. Therefore, I know that when someone outside of Illinois asks me in what part of Chicago do I reside I just say “The South Side”. That reply generally warrants the overflow of stereotypical questions such as: Do you live in the hood? Do you know Chief Keef?. Just because I live on the south side does not mean I reside near anybody’s ghetto neighborhood nor does it mean that I've met the rapper Chief Keef. People are even more appalled than I am to discover I do not even listen to music made by Chief Keef, it is almost as if they are offended in some way. Or for instance when people found out that I studied at Harvard for a summer alongside undergraduate and graduate students, they begin to let really absurd questions fly out of their mouths. Questions like: Harvard University in Boston, MA? How much did that cost? Did you have to take out loans to afford it? Does that mean you’re bougie because you studied at Harvard? Yes, I studied at Harvard University. No, not the one in Boston, MA, because there is no Harvard in Boston. Harvard University is in Cambridge, MA. It cost a lot of money, and no I didn't need to take out a loan, they gave me almost half of the tuition was given to me from Harvard as a scholarship. Also, people at Harvard are the most down to earth and relatable people. They study hard and deserve everything they receive, nothing is handed to them. I have made majority of my life long friends while studying at Harvard, and met some really incredible people and connects.

Lollipop Moments

I had a very hard time choosing a favorite TED Talk, I love Ted Talks and they are all different in their own way. All of the speakers, I believe are very intellectual and rather hilarious - but I have a weird sense of humor. I used this assignment as an excuse to lounge in bed and watch TED Talks. I watched 20 TED Talks today, despite already knowing which was my favorite. A video filmed in Toronto that I've seen on multiple occasions in high school and a few times since I've been to college. What makes this video my favorite, is well, we've all had “that” moment in our lives. It is called ‘Everyday Leadership’, however I believe a more befitting name would be ‘Lollipop Moments’. We've all experienced that moment in which someone has impacted our daily lives without them even knowing.

The most effective element in Drew Dudley’s ‘Everyday Leadership’ video is his ability to draw the audience in and make the Talk something most people were able to relate to. His tone was also very powerful. He draws the audience in immediately by beginning with questions, that at first glance causes a kind of skepticism - even from me. The questions posed were about leadership. Although often times starting with questions seems cliche, it was a very useful tool in creating a link to the relevance of the anecdote that was to follow. By incorporating this anecdote he personalized his speech which captivated the audience even more, without this personalization the talk would seem useless and boring. Additionally, the anecdote was used as the visual for this TED Talk. Throughout his speech he speaks clearly yet at a faster pace, he uses his hands at times to express his point, engages the audience in his speech and even causes them to laugh a bit. Although the pace of his speech is relatively fast, I believe this is done to get the audience to the meat of the speech faster and to see the connection. Also by keeping it shorter and even at a faster pace it forces the audience to pay attention closely to what is being said. Despite speaking faster, he still manages to speak clearly. Which is what every speaker should work on and perfect. He uses his hands throughout the speech which are ineffective and distracting; however, at certain times his hand gestures allow the audience to paint a better picture in their head of the story he tells. This Ted Talk has inspired me to pay it forward and to let the leaders in my life know, that they've helped me come a long way.

Motor City and Motown vs Murder City and GhostTown

I’ve always thought the average human’s image of Detroit was very misconstrued. As Rembert Browne states in his article when you tell someone you’re going to Detroit you get the general reply “Be careful,” “Why?” and “Take pictures.” When you hear Detroit most people automatically think: deteriorating, dangerous, murder city, and hopeless. I recall one time late last semester discussing Detroit in my WRD 110 class and multiple people responded: “you don’t want to go there”, “it’s dangerous there”. I find it gut wrenching hilarious that one can speak of how dangerous inner city Detroit is, without having ever been there. Society’s image of Detroit isn’t in the least bit gratifying. But the fate of Detroit is in the hands of those with an eye for the wrong image, there is good and bad in all cities, just depends who is on the other side of the camera. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEX3Diz6PTo 

If you ask anyone who lives in Michigan near Detroit where they reside and they will proudly say Detroit. Yet, they don’t live in Detroit they live miles out in a suburb near the city. The same thing occurs with Chicago, most people are scared to travel within the inner city of Chicago yet will proudly declare that’s where they reside when they clearly do not. Chicago was declared by the FBI as Murder Capital of the great USA, only problem is their statistics were wrong. Chicago is a beautiful city just as Detroit. Yet one is not capable of seeing and knowing such things because society has painted Detroit as a horrible place to be. There is crime everywhere, Orlando and Miami are at the top of the list for most dangerous cities in the USA, but people travel there by the masses every year.

Detroit is now referenced to as Murder City or a ghost town, however it has not always been known as such. Although Detroit may be considered “dangerous” now, Detroit was once known as Motor City and Motown. What used to be the most prominent, flourishing, and populous city is now considered scum of the earth. However, Browne describes and captivates Detroit and all of its beauty, in his article. The people of Detroit are on a mission to transform their city. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2211498/Detroits-amazing-transformation-captured-camera-loses-ONE-MILLION-residents-60-years.html (the video at the bottom of the page) The Heidelberg Project I believe is apart of the transformation of Detroit that is occurring. Things such as the Heidelberg Project brings out the beauty, creativity, liveliness, and hope for Detroit as a recovering city. Although there is much work to still be done in many places, and help to be given out, Detroit is capable of transformation despite society’s irrationally publicized view.

Big Butts and Naked Girls

What girl doesn't look at these pictures and wish it were them instead of Kim K and Miley Cyrus? I most certainly know that I looked at this photo of Kim K and said to my best friend Hannah “why can’t I have a butt like that!?” Low and behold that question struck a 30 minute conversation of us talking about celebrities who have big butts and those who have no butts, such as Miley Cyrus. I took note that this article couldn't have been more correct in saying “Popular culture supplies beauty — beautiful faces, beautiful places, beautiful bodies. This was the year that beauty turned to angst.” Somehow during this discussion we switched to social media sites, including but not limited to Instagram and Facebook. We noticed how now girls and even guys post pictures of  themselves half naked, if not completely naked; for likes, attention and comments. On Instagram, I sometimes find myself wondering why when females post photos of themselves half naked do boys comment things such as “you’re gorgeous.” Makes me wonder why beauty now lie in the hands of those that have big butts? The answer is simply because that’s how society portrays women, that’s what music publicizes that a man is looking for. It kind of saddens me that females, occasionally myself, want to look like the next Kim K when it comes to body type. When a girl has no butt such as Miley Cyrus, people begin to criticize her or maybe she doesn't receive the same attention as those who have the body style of Kim K. Society has began to affect everyday people that now males think it is absolutely acceptable to photographs without shirts on and sometimes without any clothes on at all. I sit and wonder from time to time why does he feel compelled to do this, is it too because of the comments he receives from females. Comments that are filled with emojis of hearts and kissy faces? But one question still remains...since when has beauty become only skin deep and what’s on the outside?